Snow, winter, and spring

The above is a screen shot from the WCSH-6 tower cam. There is a howling snowstorm in Portland Maine right now, my old stomping grounds (actually 17 miles to the city's north.) It is not fit for man nor beast out there. And by the looks of the empty streets, not for cars, either.

Chicago is expected to have had the snowiest February on record as their storm and this month closes out. "Wednesday's slushy snowfall at O'Hare International Airport sent the February 2011 snowfall total there to 27.0 inches putting it within 0.8" of the city's all-time February snowfall total of 27.8" established 116 years ago back in 1896.  With significant snow expected to arrive in the city tonight that record should easily fall by the wayside, elevating February 2011 to the month's snowfall leader."

I hate snow. I really, really hate it. I suppose that comes from a lifetime of living in it, and trying to make a living in it. It was the years of running the newspaper that did me in on snow. No matter what, the paper had to be gotten to the printer by a certain time even if it was howling snow outside. It had to be delivered even if the sane people were all hunkered down. I didn't mind it so much as a teacher, of course, because we were allowed to stay home when it got too bad. But doing the paper forced me to ignore all weather and keep trucking along irrespective of the cold, poor visibility, danger, or personal choice.

I moved to Georgia and with only a couple of exceptions have been free of dealing with snow for the four and a half years I've been here. I enjoy spring, not dread it because another storm is coming. The dogwoods are blooming now. The crocuses are coming up and the tiger lilies and daffodils are hurtling above ground at breakneck speeds. Next up will be the pear tree blossoms.

It is not always possible to move to where the weather suits your clothes, as the song said. So I admire the stalwart perseverance of those who literally plow through it year after year. I applaud those who stay positive in the face of dark storms one after another. And in the end the sun will shine on a warm spring day...sometime. That is always something to look forward to.

Here is some prettiness to keep the northern friends anticipating their own bounty.

From my backyard last March

Pear blossoms

The driveway has a row of tiger lilies